GA/9088

CLOSING STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT OF FIFTIETH SESSION OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The end of my mandate as President of the fiftieth General Assembly has now arrived, and I would like to say farewell to all, and to thank the Secretary-General, the Permanent Representatives of Member States and the staff of the General Assembly for the excellent cooperation we had and for the advice and support I have received from all over the past year.

During the course of this year, we witnessed some important events that deserve to be mentioned.

First of all, the United Nations celebrated its fiftieth anniversary last October, which was a historic meeting of almost all Heads of State and Heads of Government of Member countries. In their words and speeches, they and the peoples they represent committed themselves unequivocally to the United Nations and its ideals. In the many statements made on that occasion, these ideals were constantly evoked: peace and development, human rights and international cooperation. I heard no one defend the practice of war, nor advocate the denial of assistance to less fortunate peoples. I heard no one extol the virtues of dictatorship nor champion isolationism. Of course, it is not enough to proclaim ideals; real acts must follow. But the fact that we all agree on what are our common values, those of the United Nations, signifies that part of our work is done. What still remains is for all to work together to agree on the means to achieve these ideals.

An example of this was the adoption by a significant majority only last week of the text of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Let us hope that it will be a true gift of our generation to future generations and to a better world.

The fiftieth session of the General Assembly was marked by a concerted effort towards reforming the Organization. Under my chairmanship or coordination, five working groups have been vigorously tackling the vital questions which hold the key to strengthening the United Nations. The work that has been done this year by these groups has already begun the process of identifying the specific issues which need to be addressed by Member States. This work must now continue to translate ideas and positions into action and

real change. Member States have announced they would reform the organization but now they must deliver. The world expects this. The issues cannot just be endlessly debated. There must be action. And there must be action soon.

On my very first day here at the United Nations, I made an appeal to you all. I am making that same appeal to you here and now: let us not be afraid of dialogue, of free discussion, of the clash of ideas and proposals. But let us also not be afraid of negotiation, of the spirit of compromise and of the building of consensus. On this, I made every effort to always be available to Member States, and I hope that you found in me a President you could count on.

Allow me, once again, to insist on the reform process.

A comprehensive approach must be taken to strengthen the United Nations as a whole. The constituent parts of the United Nations must act in a more efficient and coordinated manner. Only in this way will the activities of the United Nations and the pursuit of its objectives and purposes be made more effective.

The United Nations can and must be less expensive and more efficient. Cost-cutting and productivity gains are thus welcome, but should not be sought for their own sake. The United Nations budget is really quite small when compared to those of national governments. As I have often said, the regular budget of the United Nations in 1995 was equal to only 25 per cent of the budget of the Portuguese Ministry of Education. In real and relative terms, the United Nations does not really cost that much. So any reforms in the administrative structure of the Organization must result in real advantages and not just seek to cut the budget.

The unprecedented financial crisis, which has jeopardized the work of this Organization and threatened to bring it to a halt, must not be ignored. The crisis resulted primarily from unpaid assessed contributions by Member States. This situation is not acceptable. It should be remembered, and repeated again and again, that payment of assessed contributions is a freely accepted responsibility and a duty of all States, large or small, and they must be paid in full, on time and without conditions. The Organization desperately needs funds. Member States must continue to act to prevent total financial rupture. In this context, I wish to thank all Heads of State and Heads of Government who responded positively to the letter I sent them on 15 February requesting the payment of their 1996 contribution not later than 30 June.

As Chairman of the Working Group on the Financial Situation, I must confess that I was disappointed to see the premature interruption of its work towards placing the Organization on a sound financial basis because of the effects of the cash crisis. I sincerely hope that this impasse will be

- 3 - Press Release GA/9088 17 September 1996

overcome in the near future. A step in this direction may be the proposal voiced here yesterday by Ireland in the name of the European Union for the convening of an orientation debate on the financial situation of the United Nations.

The role of the United Nations in the maintenance of peace and security continues to be a primary one and must be supported by all Member States. Recently, more emphasis has been rightly placed on the prevention of conflicts and on the need for a greater role for regional organizations. At the same time, however, the United Nations, and in particular the Security Council, remain essential to the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

Member States have agreed that the Security Council must be brought up to date. The exponential increase in the membership of the United Nations has made necessary an expansion in the size of the Council in order to strengthen its representative character. This, along with improvements in its working methods, will serve to make the Council more transparent and therefore more effective, in its decisions and in their implementation.

The links between sustainable development and peace cannot be overestimated. The best way to prevent conflicts and civil strife is to lay down the foundations for social and economic progress by attacking the root causes of war in poverty.

The activities of the United Nations in social and economic development must continue to be one of the very highest priorities of the Organization. It has been observed that there is at present a lack of political will by the international community to address the continuing difficulties faced by developing countries. However, we must not forget that the gap between development needs and financial resources is a global problem which, therefore, inevitably requires global solutions. In this context, it is interesting to note the research done on issues related to the so-called global commons, including studies on innovative financial mechanisms for development.

The efforts of the United Nations in promoting economic and social progress should concentrate on helping countries and people help themselves. In particular, the difficulties experienced by the African continent should receive the fullest attention of the international community so that the cycles of poverty and violence can be effectively and permanently broken.

This year also marked the celebration, on 18 April in The Hague, of the fiftieth anniversary of the International Court of Justice. I had the honour to be present at the ceremony, representing the United Nations as a whole.

- 4 - Press Release GA/9088 17 September 1996

I believe that it is an absolute obligation of any member of an organization to abide faithfully by the rules of law applicable to it. If disagreements arise concerning the application of these rules, the principle of separation of powers requires that those disagreements should be settled impartially by a court of law. The Charter of the United Nations provides for such a judicial body: the International Court of Justice.

As I remarked in my inaugural statement as President of the General Assembly: "It is, therefore, utterly desirable for all countries which are Members of the United Nations to accept within a relatively short time the jurisdiction of the Court at The Hague. That it should still be possible to refuse the Court's jurisdiction strikes me as an anachronism left over from the days of unlimited State sovereignty, which is inconsistent with the prevailing principle of the primacy of international law."

Nevertheless, the reality is that the International Court of Justice still remains what it was at its inception. Regretfully, the appeal for the acceptance of compulsory jurisdiction found no widespread response and the great majority of the membership of the United Nations still does not accept, in general terms, the authority of the Court.

I will, however, continue to appeal to those who can lead, and to the willingness of all, to set up a system of more effective enforcement of international law.

I will continue to strive for the establishment of international courts with binding jurisdiction to determine when international laws are violated, and to better serve as forums for the peaceful settlement of conflicts.

Allow me to take this opportunity to refer to two issues which are of particular interest to me as a Portuguese citizen. The creation of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries in Lisbon last July was a historic event. This international organization unites countries from different parts of the globe which share, however, common values and a vision of international cooperation. It seems to me to be a wonderful example of the spirit of the United Nations in action.

On the other hand, I was not fortunate enough to see, along this year, substantial progress occurring in the extremely difficult situation of East Timor. I have seen with interest, however, that talks and bilateral negotiations continued, under the mediation of the Secretary-General, between Portugal and Indonesia.

The United Nations continues to be subjected to increasing criticism. The criticisms range widely, from the serious, which in seeking to increase the Organization's efficiency and effectiveness deserve to be taken into

- 5 - Press Release GA/9088 17 September 1996

account, to the incredulous, which derive from obscurantist attempts to alter the public's perception of the United Nations.

Let us be serious about the United Nations.

Can democracies criticize the United Nations for promoting democracy? Can peace-loving nations criticize the United Nations for working for peace? Can we criticize the United Nations for aiding the poor, the sick, the needy? Can those who cherish freedom criticize the United Nations for defending human rights, for fighting racism and ethnic persecution or for having opposed apartheid?

The world has become a global village. All human beings have become our neighbours. Do we want to help them, or do we want to let them die in war, in political repression or in extreme poverty?

The United Nations is less about money or management than about our own concept of life, morality and justice.

If we consider ourselves to be true humanists, and if our main concern is with everything human, then we must draw the inevitable conclusion that the United Nations is worth our praise, and that we must support its activities with all our heart and soul.

The fiftieth session of the General Assembly is now closing. I am honoured to have been its President.

I wish this General Assembly every success in its fifty-first session and convey to its President my best wishes.

* *** *

United Nations